Since other travellers lists helped me decide what to pack I thought I’d share mine to pay back the new nomads, vagabonds and backpackers setting out on their own adventures.
To be honest, up until the night before my flight I still wasn’t sure what was coming with me. My sister and I packed and unpacked my backpack countless times, re-thinking each item every time.
Even with all that thought, I still probably took far too much to travel lightly. This is what I crammed into a 50L backpack. Some of it will probably be tossed / given away / lost along the way so I’ll update this list as I go. (Last updated April 18 2010)
(<— Not my actual luggage ;))
Gadgets:
- Macbook
- charging cord
- memory foam case to protect Macbook
- wire lock for Macbook (attach to table etc.)
- travel packet of screen cleaner
- USB sticks (8G, 1G) 1 stashed away with copies of important documents, 1 for backups
- Bought while travelling: 320G USB hard drive
- Camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3)
- 1 extra film thing
- camera battery charger + 1 extra battery
- USB film reader
- iPhone (will be used more as an iPod ie. no data plan or number)
- charging cord (usb) for iPhone
- earbuds
- power plug converter (only need for my luxury item)
- universal plug adaptor
- headlamp (handy!)
- Steri-pen & filter (so I don’t need to buy bottled water)
- 4 spare AA batteries
Clothes:
- 2 compression sacks to hold:
- 1 turtleneck
- 1 long broomstick skirt
- 3 pants (1 loose black cotton, 1 jean-like, 1 yoga pants)
- 3 tank tops
- 3 t-shirts
- 1 long sleeved t-shirt
- 2 bras
- 5 undies
- 5 pairs socks
- 3 bandanas – (will give away 2 along the way)
- 3 scarves
- 1 black leggings (layering & sleepwear)
- 1 pair of thick tights (good for layering)
- 2 hats (1 brimmed cap, 1 crochet beanie)
- sunglasses
- 1 pair gloves
- 1 belt with a pocket large enough for my small camera and some cash
- 1 sarong
- 1 jacket that’s very wrong but I’ll replace it when I find something better.
(thick, jean like cotton. takes forever to dry but I couldn’t find anything better for a reasonable price before I left) - 1 pair flip-flopish sandals – tossed, replaced with sandals
- 1 pair high heal booties – tossed (I tried finding more reasonable footwear in Toronto, but finding summer shoes in the middle of winter was a no-go)
- Update: 1 pair ballet flats – A gift from another traveller. – Wore out eventually
Personal:
- hair straightener (my luxury item)
- travel toothbrush, toothpaste & floss
- small solid shampoo / bodywash
(I’m still not sure if I like this, it gets very messy if it’s not dry when I repack, but it’s much smaller & lighter than liquid.) - small bottle of hair conditioner
- scrubbie glove
- facial wash
- toner
- facial moisturizer
- sunscreen
- lip balm
- small case of makeup: mascara, concealer etc.
- tweezers
- nail clippers & tiny file
- a few small hair clips, elastics & 1 head band
- comb
First aid:
- bandages (liquid & a few regular)
- moleskin (not actually made from a mole ;p)
- tea tree oil & aloe swabs
- small Polysporin anti-biotic spray
- antibiotics
- anti-malaria meds
- bug repellent
- a few Tylenol tablets
- electrolyte powder
- Gravol (anti nausea)
- Nicorettes – for the plane, may have saved my sanity
Misc.
- messenger bag – doubles as Macbook carrying case / day bag
- money belt – Although I hate to admit this but it’s so uncomfortable to wear I’ve found alternative ways to keep my passport safe and no longer use the belt.
- passport
- credit cards & debit card
- vaccination records
- paper copy of important phone numbers
- 1 marker (with duct tape wrapped around it)
- 1 pen
- 1 small notebook
- pack-safe backpack protection
- 1 small combo lock
- 1 regular size combo lock – tossed when I realized I forgot the combo, will have to replace.
- 2 travel towels (1 too bulky but nice, 1 tiny – may eventually get rid of 1)
- 1 silk sleep sheet
- sink stopper
- door wedge
- cloth shopping bag (in a keychain, it’s tiny)
- a few Canadian flag stickers
- 4 sewing needles (taped to battery package)
- 1 small thread
- a few small packets of moisture absorbing silica gel
- emergency blanket
- emergency rain poncho
- chopsticks & plastic spoon
- a few spare ziplock bags (small & large size)
- a couple dryer sheets (helps absorb smells from the pack)
- 1 Buddha, 1 Smurf & 1 Sheep (my tiny travelling companions, the sheep and Smurf were gifts from friends, my little Buddha always travels with me.)
Changes in Gear So Far
I know I overpacked some things, and didn’t bring a few I wish I had. Here’s what’s changed so far from my original travel packing list.
Lost:
- sunglasses at airport before I even left Toronto – (Replaced)
- foldable ‘travel’ scissors (confiscated at airport) – (Replaced)
Threw Out / Gave Away:
- High heal booties worn before I found sandals – they finally gave out on me, I’m going to miss them!
- flip flopish sandals – they were too painful to wear more than 5 minutes!
- Steri-pen filter – Realized I didn’t need it, according to OneBag a coffee filter works just as well. I kept the Steri-pen of course, that thing has saved me quite a bit of money already.
- 1 Scarf – given away
- Fleece sweater – tossed after it got shrunk in the wash
- 1 long broomstick skirt – the one I brought was too bulky
- Fluffy travel towel – too bulky, decided the small thin one and the sarong worked just as well
- Jacket that’s very wrong – finally tossed it, hope to find a better one soon
- pack-safe backpack protection – I found it too awkward to use, I’m going to buy the small Pak-Safe bag that can be stored inside the backpack / locked to furniture when I get the chance.
Bought:
- High heal sandals – Yup, you read that right and I understand that many will say it’s silly, but my feet feel better in them and I feel more confident. That’s worth it to me!
- Jeans – Yup, I broke one of the cardinal rules of travellers and bought a pair of jeans. Well worth it, I feel much more comfortable!
- long, halter style summer dress – Guadalajara
- warm fleece sweater – Guadalajara (tossed)
- replacement sunglasses
- replacement scissors
- small umbrella
- Spanish / English dictionary – Then tossed when I found one for the iPhone that didn’t need Net access. (SpanishDict)
- Super Tiny (physical size) USB drive (320G) to clone my macbook and store backups.
Needed when my macbook’s drive got corrupted. Made clone with SuperDuper, booted from there, repaired main drive. Glad I could find one so easily, I’d suggest bringing one with you.
Emergency food stash:
(I’m vegan and there will be times that I’ll be stuck without food I can eat if I don’t plan ahead, so I tend to carry a bit to tide me over. This list changes as I eat some and buy more, but these are the basics I like to carry.)
- powdered soy milk – tastes rather icky, but it’s better than nothing
- peanut butter
- a few granola bars
- small bag of dried fruit
Considered not bringing, but glad I did:
- Small crochet beanie – Not only can it hide a bad hair day, but it helped keep me warmer during a cold & wet few weeks in Mexico. It packs very small, love it!
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
@theaussienomad
Great list Catia just what i needed to see as I’m trying to get my list finalised.
Chris – The Aussie Nomad´s last blog ..My First Overseas Trip Part 4
@VagabondRoots
I’m glad it’s helpful.
I’ve already edited this list to add a backup clone drive or the OS X disks. I never needed them at home, but Murphy’s Law got me within the first month. Eep!
@ayngelina
I’m also thinking about getting a messenger bag as a day bag. Did you already have one or buy one in Toronto? I looked at MEC but they’re too small and I’m running out of time.
‘
Ayngelina´s last blog ..Saving for Long Term Travel
@VagabondRoots
I got mine in Europe Bound, it wasn’t in the one across the street from MEC (on King), I think it was the one on Front St.
I found it upstairs in one of the bins where they had small backpacks and bags, the only colour it came in was purple, but it’s a nice purple. It fits a 13 inch macbook and plenty of other gear without being overly bulky and doubles as a backpack to! The backpack straps fold into the back pocket when used as a messenger bag and clip to the bottom when a backpack would be better. It’s one made specifically for Europe bound (their name on the tag).
I hope you find it, or one you like. I know the feeling of running out of time, I found this bag just days before my flight, but it’s perfect for what I need.
I’m not sure where you’re staying, but for hostels you’ll want the flipflops for the bathrooms and showers. You don’t want a case of athlete’s foot to go along with your round the world travels.
brian | No Debt World Travel´s last blog ..Who Killed the Air Courier?
@VagabondRoots
Well spotted!
I’m using my sandals for showering until I find a pair of flip flops that don’t make me scream in agony. Seriously.. those ones I had must have had an hidden army of angry imps inside just waiting to dig their teeth into the sensitive parts of my feet.
@nevendingvoyage
Great detailed list. I’m just putting together our packing list post for our new blog (we leave in 6 days!). I recommend a Mooncup for women, as an alternative to tampons: http://www.mooncup.co.uk/. For men, shaving oil comes in tiny bottles and lasts forever- much better than shaving foam. We’ve just tried compression bags too and they do save a lot of space.
We haven’t figured out the day bag issue yet either. We can only fit in a thin cotton shoulder bag, which isn’t going to be great for the Macbook, but my main backpack is only 30 litres so we can use that when needed.
@skyring
Wow! I’m impressed that you could fit so much stuff in. Of course, some will be worn or carried, but even so. I second (or third) the call for sandals/flip-flops. Getting up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom you don’t want to be putting on shoes and socks. Likewise for showering in. Or walking along a beach. Just something light and easily slipped on and waterfriendly to protect your soles.
What about souvenirs? There will be some things you just HAVE to keep. Might be an annotated map, or a postcard, a note from a friend, a menu lifted from a drunken bar. If you have no spare room, you’ll have to post them home.
I’ll be visiting Canada in April. My world tour will be three weeks and a day, and that’s slow travelling for me!
Skyring´s last blog ..Song of America
@VagabondRoots
I added the sandals I got so there’s no more need to be concerned for my feet. :)
Most of the things are super small versions, but it is still far too much to carry comfortably. When I get to areas that are consistently warmer some clothing will be tossed / given away. Until then I’m not sure what to ditch.
As for souvenirs, I’m keeping digital ones only unless they’re a gift that I can easily mail. ;)
@martartw
we also packed a travel neck pillow for make our long flights and many bus rides a bit less uncomfortable, a microfiber towel which dry very fast, take very little space and is very light compare to a standard towel (well worth it) and now we would ever travel without our pacsafe portable travel bag where we stuff in our money, passports and even our small dell inspiron every time we go out exploring a place (make sure you lock it well around a sink or the toilet within a plastic bag just in case it might leak)